Has anyone (I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this) built in support for using a hand held radio/transceiver as a backup to use if you lost power or lost panel radio? Something like a coax cable in the glovebox that is connected to your existing radio antennas for better reception/transmission, possibly even a way to tie into your headset and PTT buttons? So if you lost power or panel mounted radio - you could take your handheld radio on battery power and connect it to the coax and mic in and out? I always carry a hand held with me - but got to thinking about how it would be a hassle to use in a emergency and how could I make it better integrated to get the most out of it.

Really not that hard to do. My C150 only had a handheld in it. To have the wiring plumbed in to the intercom and an antenna cable is easy. Then just plug the handheld in when you need it.
If you are splicing the handheld radio in to the existing comm antenna, be very careful to only plug it in if the other one dies. If you try transmitting on one with the other on it will wreck the one that's not being transmitted on. If that's as clear as mud.

A1Skinner wrote: To have the wiring plumbed in to the intercom and an antenna cable is easy.

Since this would be used as a backup, not as the main radio, if I lost power (I had this happen to me and had to fly into a busy non towered airport with no way to communicate and would like to avoid that if I ever lost power again) I was thinking I would need to avoid wiring it to the intercom (I have a PS Engineering intercom) - because if I lost power the intercom would be gone and then so would the ability to flip over to the com with the backup radio? Or am I not correct in that? I'm assuming (maybe incorrectly) that a functioning radio connected to non functioning intercom (power out) would make the radio unusable, but not sure if that is correct or not.

corefile wrote:

A1Skinner wrote: To have the wiring plumbed in to the intercom and an antenna cable is easy.

Since this would be used as a backup, not as the main radio, if I lost power (I had this happen to me and had to fly into a busy non towered airport with no way to communicate and would like to avoid that if I ever lost power again) I was thinking I would need to avoid wiring it to the intercom (I have a PS Engineering intercom) - because if I lost power the intercom would be gone and then so would the ability to flip over to the com with the backup radio? Or am I not correct in that? I'm assuming (maybe incorrectly) that a functioning radio connected to non functioning intercom (power out) would make the radio unusable, but not sure if that is correct or not.

Yes you are correct. In that case you are probably just best to have a headset adapter for your handheld, but still use an external mount antenna. If you need a PTT, just use a portable one that plugs into the headset adapter Jack's.

My Yaesu came with a cable that clicks on the side that has two sockets for a headset. I keep that within reach and the handheld mounted on a ram mount. The coax is plumbed to an old VOR antenna that I no longer use. Pretty simple setup. Can’t use the PTT on the yoke, but that’s a minimal inconvenience. I can also pick up a VOR on the handheld.

I have the coax from the antenna mounted to the panel and a short coax from the handheld to the panel. Makes it easily removable.

corefile wrote:Has anyone (I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this) built in support for using a hand held radio/transceiver as a backup to use if you lost power or lost panel radio? Something like a coax cable in the glovebox that is connected to your existing radio antennas for better reception/transmission, possibly even a way to tie into your headset and PTT buttons? So if you lost power or panel mounted radio - you could take your handheld radio on battery power and connect it to the coax and mic in and out? I always carry a hand held with me - but got to thinking about how it would be a hassle to use in a emergency and how could I make it better integrated to get the most out of it.

The Citabria 7ECA I just sold had a second VHF antenna with coax cable run up the left side, using zip ties to hold it in place for easy access if/when the radio failed (three times in four years, two of them inside the DFW Class Bravo!). I kept the hand-held in a RAM mount, attached to a fuselage tube, with the antenna lead connected in place of the rubber duckie. If (when?) the radio failed, I would just plug my headset into the headset adapter and a PTT switch (carried in the side pocket) and it was a relative non-event... That solution worked great.

I just purchased an experimental Rans S-6ES, and it only has the single VHF antenna. I'm basically duplicating the Citabria's setup in the Rans, using a Sirio Antenna Sirio Md 118-137 Aviation Antenna (purchased for $59 from Amazon). This antenna is unique in that it doesn't require a ground plane (originally designed for mounting on a helicopter's tail boom), so it can be installed almost anywhere. It got rave reviews both on Amazon and on a couple of homebuilt forums, so I figured it's worth taking a $60 risk on it. (Can't possibly be any worse than the existing rubber duckie...)

The Sirio antenna comes pre-wired with a coax run long enough to feed up to the upper left corner of the cockpit (using zip-ties to secure the cable). And I'll re-use the RAM mount connected to the tubing in a very similar location as the Citabria. But since this plane has a large glove box, I think I'll keep the headset adapter, spare battery pack (with fresh AA batteries), and a PTT switch in the glove box for less cockpit clutter, but still have quick and easy access to them when needed.

Sirio antenna: $60
Zip ties (UV safe): $5
A reliable backup VHF COM solution: Priceless!

I wonder how well one of those antennas would work inside a steel tube fuselage...

CamTom12 wrote:I wonder how well one of those antennas would work inside a steel tube fuselage...

Without an antenna analyzer there’s really no way to know what any antenna instillation is doing...but probably not real well.

If you want simple and cheap, get a used ELT whip for 121.5. They run under $20 on eBay and will work far better than just a rubber ducky and are super light. Another simple, at least for Icom units, get the HM-46. It is a very cheapo speaker mic. They can be had under $20 also off eBay. All the wiring you need is in the microphone assembly, just take it apart and you can toss the works and wire up to the relevant Audio out, Mic in and PTT. It has a nice molded dual plug that fits the transceiver and will not easily be disturbed.

This is some of my jump from plane to plane kit. I have a couple of whip antennas, one, I got recently that the bottom will bend in two places and is tuned for aviation. It was also, around $20 on eBay, but it fits in the windscreen. The BNC extender has a suction cup mount to hold the antenna against the windscreen, for better range. The difference between the ducky and the whip is about a factor of 5. I also have a HS-20SB adaptor that connects to the headset directly and has a PTT built in. Not to terribly common, more of a Ham Radio part, works splendidly, features adjustable in and out gain. I also have a Marine radio I use in the same manner in the aircraft. Need to use it from time to time when I go to Oceanside, it is right next to Camp Pendleton. Really, I use it when I work in conjunction with a boat. The box is my homemade 24-12V converter that I can switch out plugs with for the different radios.

Yuasa handheld. Headset adapter plugged into it, and just the rubber antenna. PTT just use the button on the side of the radio.

Don’t carry it normally, unless backcountry in a gaggle for ground use. My comm radio seems reliable, any tower has a phone number I can dial through my A20’s. I don’t do flight following.

If my comm was out of service, I have it’s BNC split at the dash to disconnect and plug into the Yuasa until it was repaired, also power from aircraft.

More important is night flying and non-towered ARCAL lighting, definitely carry it as a backup for that. Rubber antenna is fine for in close.